Despite recent advances in development of improved cancer therapeutics one of the many clinical challenges is that patients often show resistance to cancer drugs. This invention provides evidence that an alternate method of treatment of cancer could be adopted for improved efficacy of existing therapies and/or treatment of drug resistant cancers. This study describes a novel functional relationship between two proteins that regulate proliferation of cells. Because these proteins are involved in cell growth, the amounts of these proteins are tightly regulated in normal cells however in cancer cells, abnormally increased amounts of these proteins are noted. One of the common methods for controlling abnormal growth of cancer cells is to inhibit production of these proteins. However, there are incidences of frequent development of resistance to the chemotherapeutic agents upon prolonged treatment, which sometimes is necessary to destroy all the cancer cells in the body.
Aurora A kinase (AurKA), a serine/threonine kinase and a member of Aurora kinase family, plays an essential role in proper mitotic function. Full activation of AurKA requires binding to the LIM domain containing protein. Earlier studies have indicated a possible role of a LIM domain containing serine/threonine and tyrosine kinase, LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1), in the mitotic process.